Author's Note: Surprise! Early chapter this week! I had a really fun time writing the chapter this week and it all came very easily to me this time around. I also had a bit more time to work on it than I thought I would and was able to finish it up early. So here it is! I have a bit to add after you've read the chapter this time around, so I'll keep this part nice and brief. Thank you all so much for reading, reviewing, and supporting and I hope you enjoy the new installment!
Chapter XIV – If I Were Alone with You
No matter how much he enjoyed studying and learning, even Gohan had to admit it was a drag to return to school in September, especially after such an enjoyable summer vacation. The end of his time off had been some of the most fun times of his life. Training with Dad and Goten, training and spending time with Videl, double dates with his first ever friend group – everything had been so idyllic that he had honestly forgotten that eventually those carefree days would end for a while.
Entering their second trimester of their final year of high school meant that everyone would be focused on entrance exams for their desired colleges. As a result, classes would be more difficult than they had already been. And while Gohan felt confident in his own intelligence and ability to excel at school, juggling that with his own research project, his personal training, teaching Videl, and dealing with the Black Gloves, he was worried something would get lost in the chaos of everyday life.
He was already fairly wary of things to come. Bulma had called he and Videl the night before and informed them that Reed had contacted her. The leader of the Black Gloves had requested he move on securing them another transmitter from Satan Electronics; they were clearly gearing up for something. Gohan wasn't sure what their next move would be or even what their end goal really was. But with more trials on the horizon, he was realizing he might have to prioritize certain things going forward.
Videl's training was non-negotiable to him. He would never allow her to be placed in a dangerous situation because she wasn't ready for it again. He would make sure she was as prepared as she possibly could be. Next time they had to fight the Black Gloves, however, she'd already be much better equipped to handle them. Deflecting their artificial ki blasts would be such a boon to her ability to battle against the group.
He, of course, couldn't neglect his classes. Gohan was smart, but that didn't mean he could coast along and just hope for the best. Especially since he wanted to pursue his studies at the university level, he needed to be prepared. That left many other pursuits of his own to place on the backburner. Likely his own training would take a hit, but that was probably okay, for a little while at least. He'd figure out the rest later.
That morning, he picked Videl up like always and the two chatted and tried to lift their spirits, but neither of them were exactly thrilled to be back at Orange Star. Even seeing the smiling – or perhaps grimacing – faces of their best friends did little to lift their moods. Within the first hour of class, though, things felt like they had gone back to normal. Like they had never even left the building at all.
"Okay everyone," their teacher explained after their lesson concluded, "as you all know, after two more trimesters your whole class will graduate and move on in the world. That's only seven months away. It sounds like a long time, but it'll fly by before you know it. So to that end, we'll be holding counseling sessions with each of you today about your plans for the future."
There was a murmur across the class, some groans of annoyance, but it was mostly well-received. Gohan had never done something like that before. He wondered how best to phrase exactly what he intended to do with his knowledge and expertise. A high school guidance counselor probably wouldn't understand fully his desires. But maybe he could phrase it in a way that didn't sounds so…insane.
"After lunch today," he continued, oblivious to the whispered conversations that had broken out around the room, "class will end for third years and you will have study hall here in your homeroom until your name is chosen. We'll be going alphabetically as always so plan accordingly. And remember, be honest with your counselor. If you're unsure how to answer any of their questions, tell them that. They're here to help you, not judge you."
"Yeah, sure" Sharpner scoffed under his breath. Gohan was curious why the blond had some hostility towards that comment but chose to ignore it for now. He could always ask him later.
With that, the day continued as usual. The four had lunch out under their favorite tree and, before Gohan even realized it, it was time for their counseling meetings. Returning to their homeroom, everyone unpacked and got comfortable. Sharpner and Videl weren't thrilled that they'd be stuck until basically the end of the process. The boxer's light complaining reminded Gohan of his curiosity from earlier that morning.
"Hey Sharpner," he began.
"Yo, what's up?"
"Earlier, it kinda seemed like you didn't think too highly of the guidance counselors here. Is there some reason for it?" Sharpner grinned.
"You overheard me muttering to myself, huh? Can't hide anything from you, man. But yeah, I guess you could say I don't really care for them."
"Did something happen?"
"Not really; when I was a first year they told me it was a waste of time to take up boxing, like I hadn't been doing it for years already. Told me I oughta focus on the sciences and follow in my father's footsteps, all that junk."
"That sounds pretty aggravating; I'd be upset too." Sharpner waved his hand, smiling easily.
"Ah, it's all good. Back then, it really affected me, but I'm my own man now. I'll follow whatever path I choose and I don't care what anyone else says."
"How admirable!" Erasa sang, grabbing onto his arm and pecking him on the cheek. His cheeks flushed just slightly but he maintained his composure a lot better than Gohan usually did in similar situations with Videl. Speaking of Videl…
"What do you want to do after we graduate, Sharpner?" she asked, turning and eyeing him curiously. He considered her for a moment.
"Honestly? I'm thinking about trying to go pro in boxing."
"Wow, that sounds great!" Gohan encouraged him, a wide smile stealing his face.
"Thanks! I've been kicking it around for a while, discussing it with the folks and all that, and they're supportive of me. Besides, it's a pretty small window; the way the pro circuit's been the last few years, either you make it big when you're young or you're out on your ass by the time you're twenty-two. Well, usually at least. I figure if I don't manage it then I'm still plenty young enough to figure out what's next. And if I do, then who knows?"
Videl nodded and smiled at him. "I think that's a very mature and realistic take on it. Color me impressed!"
"Just cause I screw around a lot doesn't mean I don't take the future seriously," he grinned.
"How about you 'Rase?" she asked, her cerulean eyes flitting over to her best friend. The girl in question sighed and leaned on her open palm, blowing air straight upward, causing her hair to flutter.
"I don't really know. You know nothing in school has ever really interested me…"
"Yeah, I know," Videl agreed gently, trying to console her.
"What kind of things do you enjoy doing?" Gohan asked her, realizing he didn't know a ton of her hobbies, even now. She considered him for a while before staring up into space as she pondered aloud.
"I…hmm…well I guess I like fashion. Not, like, shopping and buying stuff, but like planning outfits and choosing specific things for specific people. Like I did with Vi when we were shopping back in July for the trip!"
"Hey, you could do something with that E," Sharpner told her, nodding confidently. "You could become a stylist or a designer or something like that."
"Yeah!" Videl agreed, her smile wide and infectious as ever. "Maybe you could look into that some!"
"Honestly, I've never really thought of that…but that's not a bad idea! Do I have to go to more school for that?" Gohan couldn't stifle the chuckle as her question caught him off guard.
"Probably," Videl told her, trying to let her down easily, "but it wouldn't be like this. You won't really study things you don't care about in college. You get to focus on your choice or major and use it to prepare yourself for your career."
"…that doesn't seem so bad then," she conceded, still thinking deeply about the future it seemed.
"What about you two?" Sharpner asked, glancing over to Gohan and Videl. "A couple of honors students like you must have a plan in place already, right?" he shot at them, winking good-naturedly.
"Naturally." Videl donned a haughty attitude for a moment before she broke, laughing in a way that Gohan could only describe as precious. He couldn't imagine her ever laughing like this back in April, even with Sharpner and Erasa. She had seemed so much more withdrawn and guarded back then. She still had an aggressive fire to her, of course, but ever since they'd come back in May, he truly delighted in seeing her softer side come out around everyone, not just him.
"Well don't leave us in suspense," Erasa chided her with a grin, "what are you gonna do?"
"I want to study criminology and become a detective," she announced as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"That's so perfect for you 'Del!" Gohan was smiling widely as he encouraged her.
"Thanks! I really think I'll like it!"
"Wait, wait, wait," Erasa interrupted, staring hard at him. Gohan wilted under her intense gaze. "You mean to tell me you didn't know what Vi wants to do after high school?"
Gohan grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. "W-well…we just never really discussed it, I guess. We've had so much going on and it just didn't come up before now."
"Don't give him such a hard time 'Rase." Videl came to his rescue quickly, a soft smile on her pink lips. "I never really asked him either. I have a suspicion what his answer is but that's just something I've kind of inferred."
"…yeah, you really would make a good detective," Sharpner teased, shaking his head.
"Let's put that little theory to the test, shall we? What do you think Gohan wants to do, Vi?"
"If I had to guess," she began, looking at him warmly, "I'd say he wants to focus on some kind of sports field so he can use his knowledge and apply it to…uh…other stuff," she trailed off, lowering her voice. Gohan grinned at her, thankful that she hadn't said the word 'ki' out loud in class.
"It's a little complicated to explain," Gohan followed up immediately, noting Erasa and Sharpner's unsatisfied faces. "But she's basically right. I'll tell you both what exactly that means later; I promise."
"I can live with that," Sharpner conceded. It seemed like Erasa was about to retort when someone poked their head into the room and called her name. It was her turn for her counseling appointment.
"Well, wish me luck guys! I actually might have an answer for them this time!"
The rest of the afternoon dragged on slowly, even after Erasa returned from her appointment. She was pleased by how well it had gone; her counselor had given her a lot of good suggestions and she was excitedly researching them now. Gohan had figured he'd be next but when 'G' came and went, he sighed in defeat as he realized they must have sorted him by his family name.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Sharpner was called out and Gohan heard his own name soon after. "Good luck Darling," Videl sang, kissing him on the cheek. He kissed her back and rose to his feet, leaving the room and following the signs up to the guidance office.
He was greeted by a woman probably around Bulma's age, wearing a pink blouse and a bright smile. She exuded what could only be described as 'pep.' "Good afternoon! You're Son Gohan, right?" He offered a polite smile.
"That's correct. You can just call me Gohan, I'm fine with that."
"All right then Gohan! You can call me Shihan; please, come into my office!"
Her cheery attitude made Gohan feel immediately relaxed as he followed her into the small room, lowering himself into a chair placed across the desk from her. After she settled into her own seat again, Shihan turned to him and spoke, her voice a little softer now to match their quieter environment. Her enthusiasm never waned, however.
"It's great to see you again Gohan; I don't know if you remember me too well, but we met very briefly the day you and your mother came here to officially enroll you."
"I do remember that," Gohan replied with a small smile. "I was wondering why you seemed so familiar to me. It's great to see you again as well, Ms. Shihan."
"You're such a polite young man! But please, just call me Shihan; I'm not that much older than you kids are! I do appreciate that politeness though! Sometimes I have to deal with some real stubborn kids in this line of work, but you're already making my life easy!" Gohan smiled sheepishly.
"Um, I'm glad I can help."
"So!" She typed on her keyboard for several seconds before snapping her fingers triumphantly. "I've pulled up your file here and you look good as gold on paper! To be totally honest, I was a little concerned with how well you'd fit into public school when I first met you, with you having been homeschooled your whole life and all, but you've proven all those worries of mine entirely wrong!"
"Actually, I've surprised myself a bit if I'm being honest; I didn't expect things would go so well," he admitted.
"Well, I'm thrilled to have seen you come into your own here! Outside of social life, it makes sense why you're not in any clubs, what with your incredible commute and all; I doubt any college of university would hold that against you given your circumstances. And your grades are impeccable! A perfect GPA for your first trimester; very impressive! Just keep up your excellent work and you'll be able to get into any school you want, if you pass the entrance exams of course. Can I ask: what are your plans for the immediate future?"
"Well," Gohan began, hoping he had figured out a way to dance around the truth without sounding like a fool, "I have every intention of taking the entrance exams early this coming year. I don't have a particular school in mind, but I know I want to study sports psychology and combine that with my personal training in martial arts to teach others and help athletes." There; just vague enough to work but specific enough that it sounded like he'd really put thought into it. Which, of course, he had, but he couldn't exactly explain that he wanted to help people understand their ki better.
Shihan offered him a bright smile. "That sounds wonderful! And very well thought out! With your academic success, I'm sure you could excel in any field you like! I do see on your file here that you were out for a few weeks early this year to participate in the same martial arts tournament that Videl and her father competed in; how amazing! Any school that looks at you will see that you have an interest you're dedicated enough to pursue professionally as well. That looks excellent!"
"O-oh, I wouldn't say I'm a professional or anything," he laughed, trying awkwardly to wave off the compliment.
"Well, it says here you made it through the qualifiers which is already amazing in and of itself, no? The note said you might be gone a few days extra because you made it into the tournament proper!"
"Is…is that so?"
"You're quite the go-getter! It's no wonder you've managed to fit in so well here! On that note, I'm not just an academic counselor; how has your social experience been so far? Do you get along with your classmates?" Gohan felt himself relax a bit as they changed topics again.
"I do, yeah! It was a little awkward at first, adjusting to a new environment and everything, but after the tournament and all that Majin Buu business, I became pretty good friends with Videl and our classmates Sharpner and Erasa."
"Rumor has it that 'good friends' wouldn't quite be strong enough to describe you and Videl," she mused aloud, raising an eyebrow knowingly. Gohan blushed and averted his eyes, trying to think of a response. Thankfully, she continued before he had to.
"When you work at a school, and especially when you work closely with the students, you hear all kinds of gossip. You two were the hot topic for weeks after we came back to school in May! I think that's great! High school is such a perfect time to experience your first love," she sighed, losing herself to wistful memories for several long moments. Her energy was starting to wear Gohan out, so he was thankful for the break in conversation.
"But you know," she continued, snapping back to reality, "it's important to be careful not to change your whole life for a high school romance. Most don't really last, you know? You don't have to answer this question out loud; I just want you to think about it. If Videl wanted to go to a school halfway around the world, would you follow her? Even if you couldn't pursue your own dreams in doing so? Like I said, just think on that; you don't have to say anything."
Gohan hadn't even considered something like that. It was almost a given in his mind that he and Videl would just be together from here on out. They hadn't really discussed college plans yet. Had that been a mistake? It was an important next step in their lives; he had just been so wrapped up in the newness of it all that next year hadn't even been a thought to him yet.
"I guess I shouldn't worry you too much though," Shihan said, almost chastising herself. "All in all, your grades are perfect, your extracurriculars are stellar, and when you pass the entrance exams, you'll be able to go anywhere you want! So study hard this year and make sure you're ready for everything that comes your way!"
"I will," Gohan assured her. "Thank you, um, Shihan."
"You're very welcome! Anyway, you're all set! You can head home if you want to!"
"Great, thank you very much for your help today. Take care!"
"You too!"
Gohan finally left the small office, her high energy having drained him rather significantly. He was in a bit of a daze as he walked the familiar hallways back to his homeroom though. Shihan had given him more to think about than just tests and grades.
'What if Videl does want to go somewhere far away? I was just assuming we'd stay together, but it'd be really selfish to expect her to change her plans for me. I don't really have a specific school I want but…I wonder where she wants to be. Even if she was halfway around the world, I could fly to her quickly enough that it wouldn't be much of a problem. Dad could teleport me too. But it would definitely make seeing her each day harder…
'What was Shihan implying back there? Was she saying I shouldn't stay with Videl if she goes far away? Do people do that? Break up if they aren't always together? Mom and Dad married when they were nineteen…I guess that's pretty young, and neither of them ever went to college anyway. Bulma and Vegeta married well after I was born. I guess I don't really know anyone who's been in this situation. Does…does Videl want to break up if we go different places…? Is that…normal…?'
Gohan was back at the classroom before he even realized it. Every bit of him wanted to figure things out with Videl before his mind started running away with him, but she was already gone to her appointment. Sharpner and Erasa sat in their usual spots, the last two in the classroom.
"Hey Gohan, how'd it go?" Erasa called out, waving excitedly. He tried to pull himself back to reality.
"Not bad! Shihan is very…energetic," he admitted aloud. Erasa laughed loudly.
"She really is! She's my counselor too! She can't go five minutes without talking about the latest gossip around campus."
"Yeah, she mentioned as much."
"Well I'm sure your appointment went just fine, yeah? You're pretty much a genius after all," she teased, winking at him. Gohan felt himself flush a bit but nodded. He looked for an escape and found it in the blond boxer that had his arm around Erasa.
"How was your meeting, Sharpner? As bad as you expected?" The blond laughed a bit.
"Honestly, it was a bit better than I thought it'd be. I figured I'd be told I was wasting my time when I mentioned I wanted to try going pro, but he said I'd clearly thought it out and had the results to back it up. And he agreed with my idea that it wouldn't be too late to change paths later if I needed or wanted to."
"That's great! Sounds like you had the best result you could ask for!"
"Yeah, I guess so!" He seemed pleased, despite his efforts to play it cool.
Sitting down beside them, Gohan felt his mind start to wander again, back to what Shihan had said about Videl. He was surprised he was so anxious about the idea. He didn't know if things like this were normal or expected, though. Had she started dating him with the understanding that it wasn't forever? That they'd date for a year and then go their separate ways? When he thought about it for too long, it made his heart feel like it was ripping in two. It was such a painful feeling to imagine her not being beside him anymore…
"Earth to Gohan! Where'd you go?" Erasa called, waving a hand in front of his face and snapping him back to reality. He blinked several times before registering her words.
"O-oh! Sorry Erasa!"
"I'm 'Erasa' still huh? You know, you can call me ''Rase' too! You did back during our vacation, remember?" She wore a wide smile. Gohan tried to remember back to their trip but found it hard to pull his mind out of the present.
"I did?"
"Yeah, when you were comforting me while those guys were saying mean things. I don't mind if you use the same nickname Vi does for me!"
U-uh, I'll…I'll work on it!" he promised with as much enthusiasm as he could muster.
"What's wrong?" she demanded immediately. Gohan waved his hands in front of him, shaking his head.
"N-nothing!"
"Bzzt! Wrong answer! It's so obvious something's bothering you; out with it!"
"Chill E, don't scare him off," Sharpner chided gently. "It took all this time for him to open up to us as much as he has; do you really wanna set us back months?"
"It's okay," Gohan reassured them. "It's really nice of you to worry about me! Actually…can I ask you guys a question?"
"Sure, what's up?" Erasa asked, turning to face him directly.
"Um…if you date someone in high school…is it normal for you to break up when you graduate and go off to college…?"
"Where did you get an idea like that?" Erasa asked, more stunned than anything else. She interrupted as he opened his mouth to reply. "Shihan. God, that woman cannot keep her mouth shut when it comes to students' personal lives. She said something about you and Vi, huh?"
"Y…yeah…"
"Don't give it any thought. Everyone's different; some couples don't last into college. Some don't even try. But some do last! It just depends on the people in it, not the circumstances so much. You and Vi are perfect together. As long as the two of you want to keep dating, nothing could ever break you two apart. Trust me!"
Gohan felt his heart lighten considerably at her words. His other fear occurred to him again, though. Was that how Videl felt too? Should he even bring it up?
"There's more, right?" she prodded, smiling gently. She really had become a much closer friend over the months; she could see right through him now, too.
"I just…I got worried that maybe Videl thought that's what we should do, or maybe she expected it…"
"Are you kidding me?" It wasn't Erasa that responded, but Sharpner. He was grinning at Gohan while he rolled his eyes. "For someone so smart, you sure aren't acting like it right now. Videl is crazy about you. She won't go anywhere if you don't. And it sure sounds to me like you don't want to either, right?"
"Of course not. I've been thinking we'd…always stay together," he admitted, blushing deeply. Erasa covered her mouth and tried not to squeal too loudly – it didn't work very well.
"Then there's your answer," Sharpner encouraged him, leaning around Erasa to clap him on the shoulder. "You don't want to leave her and she doesn't want to leave you. No problems in paradise then!"
"Still," Erasa added, "the two of you tend to overthink everything. So if you're that worried about it, why don't you just talk to her? She won't be hurt; it's not like you want to break up next year. So just clear things up and make sure you know exactly what you both want for the future. We'll even clear out once she's back so you two can talk if you want!"
Gohan offered his friends a warm smile. "Thanks, you two. But it's okay; I'll talk to her later today. Everything you told me has me a lot calmer about things now. I owe you."
"Nah, you don't owe us anything. You're our friend; we're happy to help when you need some advice." Sharpner assured him.
"Well you do owe me something!" Erasa chimed in, smirking.
"What's that?"
"You never bought me lunch from our bet back at the beach! Wanna make good on it today?" She teased again, winking playfully.
"Sure," he conceded, laughing. Sharpner and Erasa broke into laughter too and Gohan felt his heart grow lighter than it had been in a little while.
About that time, Videl finally returned to the room, finished with her meeting as well. Her eyes widened when she entered and saw the three laughing together. Grinning, she waved across the room at Gohan and approached them.
"So, what'd I miss?"
Videl and Gohan enjoyed an afternoon of relaxing with Sharpner and Erasa after that. He had finally explained that he intended to apply his major in college to exploring ki more deeply and seeing what he could do with it on a widespread scale. They were quite interested but didn't understand the basics well enough to understand beyond a very surface level. It was start though; Videl wondered if maybe he could try teaching them as a test for the future.
As the sun started to set, the two couples said their goodbyes and parted, heading for their respective homes. Gohan held Videl's hand tightly all the way home, something that made her both giddy and also a little worried. He usually held her hand, but she could sense a bit of nervousness in his grip and the way he was acting. Had something upset him? She waited until they got home before stopping on the porch.
"Gohan?"
"Yeah?"
"Is something bothering you? You can tell me if there is, no matter what," she promised him. He smiled, defeat apparent in his gaze.
"I was gonna bring it up with you today anyway, but you really can see through me like no one else."
"I wouldn't be much of a girlfriend if I couldn't!" That word, which once was so foreign and embarrassing for her to refer to herself as, was now so natural.
"Uh…can we sit down maybe?"
"Of course we can." Rather than sit on the steps of the porch like they normally did, though, she led him around the side of the house, towards a little garden area they rarely visited. The glow of the setting sun made the green leaves and colorful flowers shimmer beneath its scarlet blanket. She sat on a nearby bench and patted the seat next to her. As he lowered himself onto the wood beside her, she spoke gently.
"I figured we could go somewhere a bit more secluded this time. I can tell it's something that's really weighing on you; you're pretty out of it." She felt nervous. What if something bad had happened and he didn't know how to tell her?
"Sorry 'Del, I don't mean to worry you."
"It's okay! But please, tell me what's on your mind, Love." Gohan took a deep breath before turning to face her.
"Well…see, when I had my meeting with Shihan earlier, she…kinda put it in my head that…"
"That high school relationships don't last?" Videl felt the icy grip of anxiousness disappear entirely, her whole body relaxing at once. There wasn't anything deeper going on; this was what Gohan had been worried about. It was so like him and she actually tried to keep herself from grinning as she finally realized it.
"Yeah…how'd you know?"
"She's told 'Rase the same thing in the past about boys she's dated."
"O-oh…I see…"
"Are you worried we won't into college?"
"No! Not like that!" he assured her quickly, his eyes snapping to her, pleading with her to understand. "I don't want to leave you and I know you don't want to leave me either; I trust that entirely! But…the way she said it…it sounded like maybe it was 'normal' that high school relationships end after graduation…"
"'Rase has told me a lot about Shihan; I've never really meet with her since she's not my counselor, but it seems like she's awfully invested in the social side of her students' lives. I've heard rumors that she cautions all her students in relationships not to keep them when they go off to college, but I can't say if that's really true or not."
"Yeah, I could believe that. Hey…um, Videl?"
"Yes Darling?" she answered, careful to make her voice as sweet and warm as possible. She didn't want him to misunderstand and think she was mad at him. He was so skittish right now even one wrong look might scare him off.
"Um…it's not 'normal' to you, is it?"
"The idea that we're supposed to break up after graduating?"
"…yeah."
"Oh Gohan," she began, smiling and taking his hands in hers. His eyes widened in surprise as she met his gaze. "You're so sweet and thoughtful and wonderful. And that's the dumbest thing you've ever asked me." Her voice was warm and gentle the entire time.
"W-what?" She couldn't help but fall into a fit of giggling at his utter shock. It was the first time she'd really seen him without a response to something. She was used to blushing and stammering, lately she'd even seen smooth and teasing, but this was new.
"Sweetheart, there's no rule that says high school relationships can't last. Papa met Mama in high school and the two of them got married and had me! Of course it's not normal to me, the idea that we're supposed to break up just because we leave for college," she promised him. His mouth, still hanging open, betrayed his continued surprise, but his eyes started shimmering at last. Good; he was coming back to her.
"It's a little different for everyone," she went on, "but if you're worried I started dating you with the intent of it only lasting a year, I have to ask how you can be so very smart with books but be so very naïve with life." She winked at him and scooted closer, wrapping her arm around his broad back and leaning against his chest. He was still speechless but managed to put an arm around her shoulders.
"I…Videl, you…"
"Relax Darling," she told him gently, running her hand up and down his side. "I love you so much."
"I know," he managed, finding his voice again at last.
"I wonder if you really know how much though. I adore you Gohan," she told him, moving back and lifting her eyes to his. She blushed as she said that aloud but refused to look away.
"Seriously. You're the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing before I fall asleep. I imagine a day when we get to snuggle to sleep together every single night like we did at the beach house. Every second I'm not with you feels like an eternity and I daydream about our future more than I probably have natural dreams at night." Gohan's face had flushed noticeably and it made her heart soar. She hesitated for just a moment, unsure if she should say next what she really wanted to. But she threw caution to the wind and decided now was as good a time as any, especially given his current worries.
"I have no intention of ever leaving you, Gohan. In fact, even when we go off to college next year…I, um…I was kinda hoping…maybe we'd go together," she managed, fighting through her stammering. Gohan's eyes widened again.
"R-really?"
"Really," she nodded, feeling her own cheeks burning hotly now. "I've…thought about it a lot, actually. How wonderful it would be to spend every day with you in a new place, with new people, learning new things. So you don't have to worry about me not wanting to make things work in college. In fact, I want to make them work even better than they do right now. Imagine if we didn't have to fly back and forth to see each other!"
Gohan absolutely lit up at long last. His smile was so wide she wondered if his cheeks hurt. "That…that sounds amazing! …I'm really sorry I doubted us Videl. I shouldn't have let a comment like that affect me so much." Videl smiled warmly and took his hands again.
"Don't be sorry, Love. You've lived such an exotic life you don't really know what's 'normal' or not with things like this – stuff I just take for granted. I'm not hurt or upset. Thank you for telling me! I'm glad we could talk through things better than we did in June!"
"We really have come a long way with communicating, huh?"
"I think we have! And besides, we've never really brought up what happens next year with college before today. I feel like that's mostly my fault; I'm sorry." Gohan shook his head.
"It's mine too; my mom's been wanting to send me off to college since I was seven, I know all about that process. I should've brought it up earlier too."
"Well, we're here now! Why don't we talk about it? Today seems like the perfect day for it, after all!"
"Sure! Uh…is there a school you want to go to specifically?" he asked her, bracing for the answer.
"Just somewhere not in Satan City," she answered immediately. When he eyed her curiously, she continued. "I want to live somewhere different for a while, anywhere really. I've spent my whole life here and I want to experience being independent from Papa and being somewhere that not everyone recognizes me on every corner like they do here." Gohan nodded, smiling.
"I can understand that! I've been at home on the mountain basically my whole life too. Being alone kinda scares me to be honest; I don't feel like I'm prepared for the world yet." Videl giggled and looked up at him. "But…if I were alone with you…that wouldn't be so scary." She smiled widely up at him.
"I feel the same way, honestly. What about you? Is there someplace specific you want to go?"
"Not really. Mom has always wanted me to go to the big, expensive, prestigious schools, but I don't really think I'd fit in there. It's too…narrowminded for what I want to focus on ultimately. I just want to find someplace with a good program that gives me the freedom to apply it to my ki research as I go along."
"I have an idea then," she sang, leaping to her feet and holding her hand out to him. "Why don't we head inside and do a little research of our own? We can figure out which schools aren't those stuffy traditional schools, which ones aren't here in Satan City, and which ones have both great sports psychology and criminology programs!"
The smile that lit up Gohan's face was enough to make her heart skip several beats. He reached out and took her hand and she pulled him to his feet. "That sounds just perfect, Angel."
"Then let's go! The sooner we figure out some places to look into, the sooner we can figure out where we might want to go…together…"
"Yeah…I'd really like that."
The next two weeks passed with relatively little excitement. The heat of summer was only just starting to abate slightly but they still had a long way to go until the pleasant fall weather began. Videl and Gohan continued their training and even though she still struggled to even begin forming ki blasts, every other aspect of her ki usage was getting stronger and stronger each day. Videl was pleasantly surprised by how well she could now find him when they played their rendition of hide and seek. Last time, he had even challenged her by remaining in base form. It had taken a little longer than usual, but she'd eventually found him all the same. He knew she couldn't resist a good challenge, after all.
Within Satan City, things were eerily quiet. The Black Gloves had yet to make a move, despite procuring another of Bulma's transmitters from Satan Electronics. Though she and Gohan kept their ears to the ground, they heard and found nothing. That wasn't to say the Saiya Squad had nothing to do; in fact, there had been an uptick in petty crimes across the city since they had returned to school. Every scene they managed to arrive at resulted in the same thing: instant and apologetic surrender. Frustratingly, though, many happened during class which she no longer had an excuse to leave or late at night when they were both sound asleep. It wasn't as if Kaneki's police force was useless – the city had managed without them for years – but Videl always liked to help them. She and her partner in crime fighting had stronger abilities than those officers and if they could protect innocent people and save lives, she was more than happy to offer her services.
It wasn't until they were walking home together after school that Friday that Videl's watch blinked yellow. A signal from the Chief. Gohan keyed into it immediately and found them a secluded place they could fly to a rooftop from. She pressed the button and adopted her bombastic Saiyaman voice.
"Chief Kaneki, come in. This is Great Saiyaman No. 2." A moment later, the Chief's voice resonated from the little speaker, clear as ever.
"Thank you for responding. Saiya Squad, we have a situation; the Black Gloves have seized the Satan City Municipal Bank. There are several of them holed up inside. Their only weapons are those gloves, as usual."
"Are there any hostages? They hit the bank at a busy time of day." Videl flashed a look of concern to Gohan but they were both surprised when he answered.
"No, actually they threw all the hostages out of the building, including the tellers and clerks. The only people in that building are the members of the Black Gloves."
"Strange. Though less so if they're setting a trap for us," she mused aloud.
"I had the same thought, especially after the interrogation back in June. Are you in a position to deal with an ambush?" Gohan stepped forward and spoke, grinning confidently.
"We're ready this time. They won't be able to use the same trick twice."
"Excellent. Then I'll send you the coordinates and await your arrival."
Videl and Gohan pressed the familiar buttons on their watches and, in seconds, they stood in their Saiyaman suits. Bulma had done a marvelous job hiding the Ki Barrier devices throughout their clothing; neither knew where the pieces were, but she had assured them they would work.
"We should activate the Barriers now; there's no telling where they have the Ki Suppressor set up," Gohan suggested. Videl nodded and the two pressed the new button on their watches, this one blue. A subtle ping sounded, their signal that the devices were working, and the Saiya Squad took to the skies, flying towards the location they'd been sent.
"You feeling ready?" Gohan called over the rushing wind. It was the first time Videl would be putting her training to the test against the Black Gloves. She felt a little nervous but quickly shook the feeling off, shooting him a confident grin.
"I am! This'll be the first fight I've ever been in where I'll be able to properly deflect their ki blasts! And we've trained so much and so hard that I feel way stronger than I used to!"
"It's not just a feeling! Your ki has grown a huge amount since we started this back in June; you really are a whole lot stronger now! Be careful you don't seriously injure anyone," he teased, chuckling.
"Don't worry, I won't turn my power all the way up unless I need to. But honestly…I'm a little interested to see how much easier it is to take these guys down now."
"You'll surprise yourself, I think! Just try not to put yourself in any danger, okay?"
"I promise I won't. But if something catches me off guard, it's nice to know my hero is right there next to me!" She couldn't see Gohan's cheeks very clearly but she had a feeling he was blushing pretty hard from the way he fell silent and bobbed his head back and forth.
It only took minutes for them to reach the bank and Videl saw a familiar police blockade set up in front of the main entrance, corralling the entrance and warding off the crowd that had already gathered. It reminded her a lot of the first time she and Gohan had worked together as boyfriend and girlfriend. She smiled to herself; despite the danger those hostages had been in that day, it was a rather fond memory for her. The first day they had worked together as total equals. It wouldn't be the last.
Descending from the sky, they landed in front of Chief Kaneki. There was a time he would have been startled by this, but these days he just took it in stride. Nodding gratefully, he turned his attention to them. "Thank you for getting here so quickly. There's been a development: a large truck crashed through the back wall of the bank and escaped. I suspect they stole as much money as they could get their hands on, but…I couldn't justify sending any of my officers after it when those men could obliterate their cars with a wave of their hand."
"You did the right thing Chief," Gohan assured him. "If you'd pursued them, they absolutely would have destroyed the cruisers. No matter how much money it was, it's not worth human lives."
"You're right; thank you for the support."
"Besides," he continued, "after we wrap things up here, I'll see if I can track it down outside the city. I might be able to grab it and bring it back like last time." Kaneki's eyes widened as he recalled vividly the memory of a small truck being flown down the street.
"Um…yes. Well in any case, we should deal with the problem at hand first. The Black Gloves are still waiting in the building. I believe it's exactly as you proposed, Saiyaman No. 2; this appears to be a trap for the two of you."
"Typical," she scoffed. "This group never can play fair. The first time they tried to take us by surprise with those gloves and the second they took you hostage to draw us out. It makes sense that they're using the public setting to draw us in so they can use that machine on one of us again."
"And you're prepared to stop them all the same?"
"Absolutely," she assured him, giving him an animated thumbs up. Kaneki lowered his voice to a whisper.
"I assume Bulma came through on her method to counteract the paralysis then?"
"She sure did," Gohan answered him softly. The Chief smiled and nodded firmly.
"As expected; that woman is brilliant in a way very few can claim to be." He rose to his full height and cleared his throat suddenly. "Very well. Saiya Squad, I would like to formally request your assistance with bringing the Black Gloves into custody!"
"We'd be happy to oblige!" Videl shouted theatrically before glancing at Gohan. "Which entrance should we use today?"
"Hmm…let's go with The Narrator!"
"Ooh we've never had a chance to use that one! I like it!" Videl turned to Kaneki and gave him a grin. "Could be borrow your megaphone for a few moments?"
"This?" he asked her as he raised the device up to chest level, perplexed as to why she'd want it. She simply nodded and kept smiling. "Sure, I suppose there's no harm in that."
"Thank you! We'll return it in just a minute!"
With everything prepared, they snapped into position. Gohan leaped into the air and vanished from sight, leaving Videl alone on the ground. She jumped easily atop a police cruiser and raised the megaphone to her mouth, taking a deep breath before donning a voice that absolutely belonged in a theatre alongside a preview trailer.
"When evil again walks the Earth, the citizens of Satan City find themselves in danger! The police have protected the city and its people valiantly, but wicked forces rise against them time and time again! Is there no end to the madness that afflicts the world!?"
Videl was truly enjoying herself. Back in April, she would never have agreed to something like this. And yet, even as most of the officers in the blockade turned and stared at her in confusion, she smiled and suppressed her urge to punch the air in excitement. Gohan's entrance was about to be perfect.
And perfect it was. Her partner dropped from the sky, red cape billowing in the wind as he seemed to freefall towards the ground. He landed with a flourish, pointing at the building. "Evildoers! Your time has come! Surrender yourselves or I'll have to use force!" Videl took a deep breath and called loudly into the megaphone again.
"He descends from the heavens, ready to take a stand against the darkness!" Of course, after several moments, there was no answer and Videl continued. "But alas, the words of the hero fall upon deaf ears! The voice of one person alone cannot make all the difference! But the voices of two might just be the solution!"
She threw the megaphone to Gohan and vaulted into the air, spinning rapidly and landing lightly beside him before leveling her own finger at the building. Gohan spun and pointed his megaphone towards the blockade and the crowd nearby. "Hidden amongst the crowd, the heroine makes herself known! She steps forward to aid the hero in his efforts to protect the innocent, her sense of justice only rivaled by her incredible strength!"
Videl fought down a blush; that hadn't been in the script. But it had been very sweet. She'd give him a kiss later for that one. Clearing her throat, she took a note from Gohan and flared her ki, her own cape catching the wind and flying around her majestically. "Our powers combined can never be defeated! You would do well to surrender yourselves before we take action!" Silence still greeted them.
"It seems they can make no progress with reason and so the time for words has passed!" Gohan continued, his exaggerated tenor resonating throughout the streets and reverberating through her very core. Videl took her cue and spun quickly, landing perfectly beside Gohan. She floated off the ground and pressed her cheek against his, albeit at a bit of an awkward angle thanks to the helmet. With the megaphone picking up both of their voices, they cried out in unison.
"Will the heroes emerge successful!? Stay tuned to find out!"
Videl and Gohan snapped into a traditional bow and the crowd outside the blockade began to cheer and applaud. Some of the officers did as well, but many of them still wore looks of utter confusion on their faces. That was fine; Videl had never had so much fun making an absolute fool out of herself in public.
"Catch, Chief," Gohan called out, lobbing the megaphone back to him. He grabbed the device from the air but kept staring at them, mouth slightly agape. He knew of their penchant for theatrics but perhaps this one was a step too far for him.
"I don't think he liked it," Gohan pondered. Videl just laughed lightly.
"It's okay; I liked it!"
"Me too!"
"All right Ichi-gō, we should get this wrapped up!"
"Let's do it! After you, Ni-gō!"
"You're too kind," she teased, leading the way into the building.
Upon passing through the heavy doors, she immediately noticed the extent of the damage the truck had caused. It had probably been held within a capsule since there was no rear entrance to this bank. They had driven it clean into the back wall and punched a large hole into the brick and mortar. Not a very neat escape, but an effective one.
The members of the Black Gloves were easy to spot as well. They were making no effort to hide; the six of them were waiting in front of the teller desks, some of them sitting on chairs, a few with their feet up. They thought they had the upper hand thanks to that Ki Suppressor. They were about to realize just how wrong they were.
"You know, we did all that for you," Videl called out, chiding them for their lack of engagement.
"Do you two always act like such…idiots?" one of them replied quietly. He was the softest-spoken of any of their opponents to date but that didn't stop his crew from laughing and jeering at them. She grinned and shrugged.
"Think whatever you like; it was fun to me! Besides, I feel bad that none of you will ever know what it's like to just act like a fool with someone you love."
"Gag me," another one called out, earning more laughter.
"No, she's right," Gohan interjected, smiling. "It's so much fun to do that together! You really oughta stop all this crime and give it a try. I bet you could all meet your special someone if you tried hard enough!"
"What makes you think we don't got a girlfriend or wife or family already?" Videl grinned.
"If you did, you probably wouldn't be out here risking your freedom to fight us."
"There's not much of a risk if we're all but guaranteed to win," the soft-spoken one replied.
"Maybe I wasn't clear enough," she continued, a steely smirk taking up a nearly permanent residence on her face. "None of you are going home tonight; you're all going to jail, beaten and bruised."
"We'll see about that!"
A moment later, one of them yanked a machine out from behind the teller's desks; it was clearly the Ki Suppressor. It looked exactly the same as the last one. Too bad they were already more than prepared. A larger man pressed a button on the side and the device started to whir loudly. He pointed the nozzle directly at Gohan.
"Checkmate, Saiyaman! You're down for the count!"
But, of course, Gohan didn't bend at all, his strong form remaining resolute against the invisible assault. Watching their faces for the next several seconds proved to be immensely entertaining to Videl; slowly, they contorted from arrogant and confident to horrified and confused.
"Why isn't it working!?"
"I don't know! The boss said it worked last time!"
"Maybe you did it wrong!"
"I did it right!"
"Idiot! Gimme that!"
Videl and Gohan just watched them scramble; it felt nice to have the shoe be on the other foot this time. They had been so caught off guard in June and things had almost gone extremely badly. But it was a new day and no matter what they tried, it was going to be a fair fight. Well, maybe 'fair' wasn't quite the right word…
"You done over there? If you are, it's our turn!" Videl called out. Several sets of eyes widened in fear as a few people started to scramble behind the desk.
"Get the other one! If it doesn't work on him, freeze her!"
"He can't beat us all if she's in danger!"
"Hurry up!"
"Shut up! I'm working on it!"
"Get out of the way!"
Several of them fell on top of each other in a heap of limbs and began shouting angrily. Videl almost couldn't believe that they were part of the same group that had pushed them so far last time. Were these guys really sent here to defeat them? Finally, one of them escaped the crowd and pointed a second device at she and Gohan. Interesting; they had managed to make a second? Perhaps the boss had found a way to recreate Bulma's transmitter.
"Here goes! We win!"
The second machine began to whir loudly and they awaited their moment of triumph. It never came, though. Videl was a bit nervous for a moment, wondering if Bulma's small little devices would really protect her from something that had brought even Gohan to his knees. But, of course, it worked like a charm; she felt absolutely nothing.
The morph from arrogant to terrified happened even faster this time, the six men wearing looks that varied from disbelief to utter regret. Videl rolled her shoulders and stretched lightly just to prove the point.
"Why…why doesn't it work?" the soft-spoken man managed at last.
"Guess you'll never know!" Videl cried out, launching herself forward all at once. Her knee collided with his head, launching him across the room and through a desk, knocking him out cold. She leapt back and touched down beside Gohan who simply gave her thumbs up.
"Should we get this over with?" she proposed, grinning fiercely.
"Let's do it!"
They shot forward like rockets. Gohan appeared before several of them before they could even react. Videl kicked one of them away from the crowd and set about fighting him hand to hand. She wanted to test just how much stronger her ki had really made her. She hadn't raised her aura but even still she could feel how much faster and stronger she'd become. The man couldn't lay so much as a finger on her and she wasn't even flying.
Her opponent was becoming desperate and started throwing wild punches and kicks, which she easily blocked and deflected. One quick dodge and a sweep of her leg sent him crashing hard to the ground. Videl called forth her aura, raising her ki just enough to launch him off the ground with a swift kick. He sailed through a wooden divider that separated a few desks and flopped to the ground, unmoving.
"You'll pay for that one!" came an angry voice from behind her. One of the larger men had freed himself from Gohan's attention and was aiming his gloved hand directly at her. Gohan glanced over his shoulder and watched her cautiously as he effortlessly deflected attacks from the other three. He was toying with them; he could have dropped them all by now. Maybe he was even saving some for her to test out her new abilities on.
"Don't worry, I've got it!" she called out to him, watching as he smiled warmly to her. This only served to infuriate her assailant even further, though.
"The only thing you've got is a death wish!" He cried out in pain as the familiar dark energy coalesced in the palm of his gloved and, a second later, an artificial ki blast rocketed from his hand towards her.
In the past, she would've had to take the brunt of it. She still remembered the painful stinging sensation in her arms from when Juzai had blasted her repeatedly in the factory. She remembered the way Han had shot her down, the feeling of an enormous fist slamming into her even as she floated in the sky. She even remembered how easily Spopovich had shot her down back at the Tenkaichi Budōkai. But that was before. She was ready now.
Centering herself just the way Gohan had taught her, she focused her aura in her right arm. In one swift motion, she leveled her arm against the blast and swung fiercely, batting it away the same way she'd seen her boyfriend do so many times before. Surprisingly, it was much weaker than any of Gohan's practice blasts and she was surprised by how effortlessly and quickly it flew across the room before exploding against the front wall. Her heart was beating fast from the adrenaline and she couldn't help herself, letting out a triumphant cheer.
"I did it Ichi-gō!"
"You sure did! Congratulation!" He still hadn't turned his attention back to his battle and watched her with pride and affection.
The man that had shot at her wore a look of absolute terror on his face. "But…but the boss said…you couldn't do that. That we could beat you if we had these…"
"Looks like your boss's intel isn't very up to date!" She shot across the room quickly and, before he could even react, delivered a blistering spinning kick, launching him across the room. He was out before he even hit the ground.
"Need a hand there?" she called to Gohan, grinning.
"That depends, do you want another?"
"Nah, go for it! I got to try out everything I wanted to!"
"I'm on it," Gohan called, turning his attention back to the three men before him. They couldn't even touch him and had exhausted themselves by trying so hard to. Within seconds, Gohan dropped all three and rolled his shoulder before grinning at Videl.
"Guess that makes our counts even today huh?" She laughed and crossed the room to him.
"Looks like it! Though you took yours down faster than I did mine."
"Maybe, but you were experimenting with your powers a bit! How did it feel? To deflect a ki blast like that." She felt a wide smile cross her lips as she nodded in excitement.
"It felt amazing! Like I was finally getting closer to becoming as strong as I want to be!"
"You were amazing! You used your ki so well! I'm so proud of you!"
"Thank you! You taught me perfectly, after all!"
"Be proud of yourself too; you're the one who did it all!"
"I am! I really feel like I'm making some progress! That's been such a blind spot for me for so long."
"Well it certainly isn't anymore!"
"Thanks to a certain someone!" Videl gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before she surveyed the scene.
They had succeeded in bringing the criminals to justice but the Municipal Bank was all but ruined. There was a chunk missing out of the front wall thanks to the blast she had deflected. Several desks and dividers were in shattered pieces, chunks were missing from the walls she had launched her assailants into…not to mention the enormous hole in the back that a truck had driven though.
"Ichi-gō! The truck! Weren't you going to try to catch the truck?" she called out suddenly, remembering what had happened before they'd arrived. Gohan gasped lightly.
"Shoot, that's right! Here, you tell the Chief what happened and I'll see if I can still find it!"
"Wait!" He froze on the spot, watching her curiously. "What should we do about the Ki Suppressors?" Gohan considered her for a moment before leveling his hand at them and launching a ki blast of his own. The two machines were reduced to smoldering ash before she could even react.
"I figure that's safer. That way they can't have them back. If they really want more, now they have to make them…even though they're useless now."
"Great idea," Videl agreed, shooting him a thumbs up.
"Okay, I'll see if I can catch that truck! Wish me luck!"
"Good luck Darling! Not that you'll need it!"
And with that, Gohan blasted off through the back wall as Videl headed towards the front entrance, ready to put a neat little bow on top of their latest case.
Gohan and Videl sat idly on the couch in the entertainment room, watching television with Buu. It was nice to relax after such an eventful day. The remainder of the afternoon had been successful, though not a perfect victory. He hadn't found the truck and that meant the Black Gloves had escaped with a frankly absurd amount of money. But nobody had been put in danger, nobody had been hurt, and Videl had used her new powers effortlessly and adeptly. After they'd wrapped things up with the police and returned to the Satan Mansion, they had rested up for a while before trying their hand at making dinner again.
They had decided on a new dish today, one they had wanted to attempt for a few weeks: curry rice. They had their fair share of struggles and problems with preparing the recipe, but, in the end, they agreed it had turned out fairly well. It almost felt like they were making as much progress with their cooking as Videl was making with her training.
Always the ultimate judge of their cooking attempts, Majin Buu was presented with a plate of curry and rice along with a large spoon. He had sniffed it and eyed it curiously before they explained what it was. He was drooling before they even finished. Taking a huge bite, Buu gave them a thumbs up and told them it was delicious. A stamp of approval from the resident food connoisseur himself.
Now they were just relaxing with him, enjoying the evening as if it were the most natural group in the world to be a part of. Gohan had to admit it was incredibly strange to sit near the being that had tried to kill him months prior and watch TV together. But stranger things had happened. Vegeta had tried to kill him too and yet he had sought advice from the man not three months ago. Maybe it was just better not to question these things; it was probably enough to drive him crazy if he thought too hard about certain aspects of his life.
"So Buu," Videl began as the show hit commercial.
"Hoh?" He reached out and pressed the mute button on the remote – seriously, how did he do that? Videl had pointed it out to Gohan once and he had never been able to ignore it again. Nor figure it out. Oh well; he wasn't as hung up on it as she was.
"We're a little over a month out from when we're gonna use the Dragonballs to wish everyone's memory of you away. Then you'll be able to go outside again! Is there anything you're looking forward to?"
Gohan had to marvel at just how far Videl had come with Buu. Back in May she had been rightfully skittish around him. But to see her now almost made him think that they were old friends. She was so relaxed and casual with him these days.
"Mmm…Buu want to go eat lots of food!" Videl laughed happily and leaned into Gohan, taking his hand.
"I'll make you a list of the best places to eat!"
"You do that for Buu!?"
"Of course!"
"Videl is so nice! Thank you!"
"Nah, you're just saying that," she waved him off. Buu looked a bit confused; he probably didn't really understand what being humble was. So Gohan took it upon himself to interject.
"No, he's right Doll; you're the nicest person I know!" He watched as she blushed pretty deeply, still not entirely used to that particular pet name. Buu tilted his head and looked at them curiously.
"Videl is people, right?" They glanced at each other hesitantly before nodding in dumbfounded unison.
"Uh…yeah, I'm people. I-I mean, I'm a person," Videl corrected herself, much to Gohan's amusement.
"Why Gohan call Videl 'doll?' Buu thought dolls were toys. If Videl is people, then how is Videl toy?" Finally understanding, the two laughed, the sheer confusion that had overtaken them evaporating slowly.
"It's called a pet name," Videl began. Buu nodded eagerly.
"Like Bee! Oh, Bee!" The little pup came running from the other room, leaping into the air and landing gracefully next to Buu. He nuzzled up against the pink giant and wagged his tail with a fervor unmatched. Videl laughed again and leaned her head back, looking up at Gohan.
"You wanna give it a try?"
"Sure," he conceded, taking a deep breath. "A 'pet name' isn't exactly the same as a name for your pet," Gohan began, earning Buu's rapt attention again. He nodded insistently and Gohan continued.
"See, when we say 'pet name,' we're referring to a name that we call each other because we're special to each other."
"Because Gohan is Videl's boyfriend?"
"Exactly."
"Mr. Satan is Buu's best friend and a boy too; does that make Mr. Satan Buu's best boy friend?" Videl nearly choked stifling the laugh that threatened to escape her. She covered her mouth and faced away from them. Gohan felt more overwhelmed from trying to follow the way Buu's mind worked than anything else.
"Uh, not quite. 'Boyfriend' is a romantic term, not a literal one. Videl is someone I love in a special way so I use special names for her to show her that I care about her."
"But Buu love Mr. Satan too! Is different?" He was so innocent and naïve…a lot like Gohan used to be, honestly. Videl, having finally recovered, came to his rescue and fielded the next question herself.
"There are different kinds of love, yeah! You love your family in a different way than you love your friends. And you love your friends differently than you love a romantic partner. I love Papa but not in the same way I love Gohan, does that make sense at all?"
"Hmm." Buu was frowning thoughtfully, trying to wrap his mind around the concept. "So Buu love Mr. Satan like a friend?"
"I think you can call him family!"
"But Buu wasn't born from Mr. Satan. Buu just started being one day millions of years ago until an evil wizard learned how to control Buu."
"Uh, that's not exactly what I meant," she trailed off awkwardly, her mouth agape. Gohan couldn't blame her; he was reeling from the conversation too. Not to mention the casual admission that Majin Buu had existed since basically the inception of the universe…
"What mean Videl? Buu confused."
"Well, 'family' means different things to different people. Papa is my biological family – he and my mom created and gave birth to me. The same is true of Gohan and his parents. But you don't have to be related by blood to be considered family. Sometimes if someone becomes close enough with you, that's already enough to consider them family."
"So you think Buu is family?" Videl considered him for a moment. Gohan wondered if the question was a sensitive topic for her. Or maybe she still had her lingering doubts about Buu. But to his surprise, she offered him a bright smile.
"I do! You're Papa's closest friend and I think we've become pretty good friends too! In fact, it'd be weird around here if you weren't staying with us. I think you're part of the family now!" Gohan ran his thumb across the back of her hand; it made him so happy to see how far she'd come in her relationship with the being that had once been the cause of her nightmares. Now it seemed like he actually made her happier for being around.
"Yay! Buu family!" He cheered and pet the excitable little pup that was now sitting in his lap before a thought seemed to occur to him. "Is Bee family too?" Videl just chuckled.
"Of course he is! He's so precious and sweet!"
"Buu have family! Bee, too!" Buu was so excited he jumped to his feet, lifting the dog into his arms, and danced around merrily. Gohan and Videl both laughed along with him as the small pup barked and wagged happily. For as violent a creature as he had once been, seeing him like this was pretty amazing.
After a while, Buu settled down again and fell back onto the couch, unmuting the TV. Bee curled up next to him and settled in for a nap while enjoying the pets he was receiving from Videl. Occasionally, she scratched a spot behind his ear that made his leg kick. She had her other arm wrapped around Gohan and was leaning her head against his chest, content as could be. And he, of course, kept his arm around his Videl, squeezing her close at times and holding her hand at others.
"I love you, Sweetheart," she whispered to him, scooting upwards and kissing him on the cheek. Gohan felt his heart flip happily in his chest before he kissed her forehead in return.
"And I love you, Angel."
Before they could get too lost in the other's eyes, though, the phone rang in the other room. Buu muted the TV so they could hear and Gohan started to move to pick it up, but Videl shook her head and nuzzled closer to him.
"Don't worry about it; nobody ever calls the landline except people trying to sell us things. Watch."
Sure enough, the answering machine played exactly that, someone soliciting some item or another to Mr. Satan. "Told you," she reassured him, nestling even closer. Gohan was a bit confused by the idea of calling someone's house to try to sell them something, but decided he'd ask about it another time. He was far too relaxed and happy to break the current atmosphere.
Buu reached for the TV remote once more and suddenly, as if she had remembered something incredibly important, Videl shot up and pointed at the pink creature. "Wait!"
He stopped in his tracks and looked at her in confusion. Gohan did too. In fact, it was probably the most similar his expression had ever been to Buu's. She gestured to the television remote and eyed him intensely.
"How do you do that?" she asked, the fervor in her voice unmistakable. Buu just tilted his head, his usual sign of confusion.
"What Buu do?"
"How do you mute the TV with those giant gloves on your hands? I've been trying to figure it out since May and I just don't get it! Those buttons are so small! How do you do it?" It was Gohan's turn to hold back laughter; she really was hung up on this.
Buu considered her for a moment before he smiled widely. "Buu just press button!" As if to demonstrate, he lowered his enormous, gloved hand down onto the remote and sound from the television filled the room again.
"But how? Your hand is giant and that remote is so tiny!"
"Like this!" He pressed the button again and the sound vanished.
"I don't think you fully understand what I'm asking Buu," she conceded, staring hard at him.
"Hoh?"
"How do you press the button? If your hand is that big and the button is so small, how do you line up your glove to touch that specific spot?" She spoke slowly and deliberately, as if she were teaching a child. Honestly, that was basically what she was doing.
Buu grinned at last. "Oh! Buu understand now!" He pressed the button again and the TV roared back to life. "Buu press button like that!"
"Come on Buu, are you messing with me!?"
Gohan finally broke out in loud laughter, unable to restrain himself any longer as Videl scowled and grumbled next to him. It appeared the mystery wouldn't be solved quite so easily.
"You may enter."
The chrome doors parted noiselessly and one of the older members of the group, Koyo, stepped into the room. They slid closed behind him, cutting out the florescent light of the hallway, submerging the room back into its usual muted light. It was easier to focus on working this way. The fewer distractions, the better.
"Sorry to interrupt, Boss," Koyo began. He shook his head.
"It is no trouble; I asked for your report. You were successful in your robbery of the Satan City Municipal Bank then?" Koyo nodded, but he spied a grimace on his face as well.
"Yes and no. I got the money and made a clean getaway in the truck. But the others all got taken down. Saiyaman and that partner of his cleaned them up pretty handily it sounds like."
"Hm. That is a problem. Did the Paralyzer fail again?" His brow furrowed as he considered the ramifications of such a truth.
"I'm not sure Boss. We brought both of them, just the way you said to. One for the Saiyan guy and one for the human girl. Didn't seem like either of them worked."
"Are you certain?"
"Well, Nise gave me his report when he returned earlier. He infiltrated the custodial team in charge of cleaning up the bank to try recovering them, but all he found was two melted machines. Probably the Paralyzers you sent with us." Koyo looked nervous.
"Not to worry, I can always create more. Now that Capsule Corp.'s transmitter has been deciphered, I have no need to rely on a direct supply source any longer. I can simply make them myself. My greater concern is why the machines failed. Can we be certain the first test on the young Saiyan boy was successful?"
"It's hard to say. None of us have been able to get close to Yu since he was taken into custody by the cops. Juzai's still in a coma at the hospital too. It seems like it must've worked though…right?" He thought hard about the conundrum for several long moments.
"My hypotheses and tests were conclusive. If the Great Saiyaman really is a Saiyan, then my Paralyzer should have worked on him without fail. The remote monitor on board showed a steady broadcast signal that day at the factory and within all scientific reason he should have been bound in place. Perhaps the issue that overloaded the system has still not been fixed properly and it occurred again today?"
"I…I guess that's possible." He resisted the urge to scoff; a simpleton like Koyo didn't understand the specifics of his work. But he was good for manpower, something they were running a bit lower on at the moment than he wished.
"For it to happen so quickly though is unexpected. The previous Paralyzer ran for several minutes before it became overloaded. I ran multiple stress tests on these new versions as well and they never once exhibited the same issues as the first iteration. I do not believe the machines today overheated or overloaded themselves. But then…why did my machines not paralyze either one of them?"
"Maybe…they broke them too fast?"
"I would sincerely hope that level of incompetency would be below the standards of our unit's training regimens."
"O-of course, Boss!"
"No, I believe I must entertain the notion that the Great Saiyaman No. 1 and No. 2 have found a way to circumvent the Paralyzers." How? How had they bested him when it came to ki science?
"Is that even possible?" Koyo asked softly. He knew just as well that the Paralyzers were of paramount importance to their plans.
"I would not have thought so previously, but it appears to be the case. I can draw no other conclusion from how today's operation ended." He thought long and hard for several moments. The answer was obvious, though. It had been right in front of his face from the very beginning. "Bulma Briefs."
"What? The lady at Capsule Corp.?"
"That 'lady at Capsule Corp.' is one of the most brilliant minds of our time, a harbinger of impossible new theories and technologies that she brings to life by her own hands. Her father was every bit as accomplished in his day as she is now. If the two of them were dissecting my machine, I have no trouble believing they devised a way to counteract the effects."
"Then…what do we do from here?"
"…I must admit, I find myself at something of a loss. If my Paralyzer no longer functions as intended, then our plans to use it against Son Goku have been set back immensely. However, I am unwilling to entirely write off the device as a failure just yet. I must know for sure if my technology has been usurped by Bulma Briefs." Koyo stood silently for several seconds before he spoke once more.
"Boss, about the other thing you wanted me to report on."
"Ah, of course. Go ahead."
"We've managed to figure out the schedule. Late morning to early afternoon is likely the best shot we'll have. We've been keeping an eye on things in the city and that seems to be pretty standard every day."
"Excellent. We must proceed with caution from here; we are down several men and two Paralyzers. This operation must not be carried out until we can muster our forces and give ourselves the best chance of victory. If we succeed, we will curry favor for the rest of our agenda going forward. How long will it take to train our new recruits?"
"About two weeks, Boss."
"We will carry out the operation in three, then. I will work on developing new Paralyzers and remedy as many issues as I can possibly find before then. This will be as much a test of their effectiveness as it will be of our ability to use them to discern the truth."
"Understood, Boss; I'll draft up the training schedule tonight and get the recruits started with the Manifest Gloves in the morning."
"Thank you, Koyo, your effort does not go unnoticed nor unappreciated."
"Just doing what I can, Boss. I owe you, after all." The man turned and approached the doors, the chrome slates sliding open for him once more.
"Koyo," he said suddenly, drawing the man's uneasy attention. "Do you think this course of action will get me what I want?"
"I do, Boss."
"Very well. I leave the majority of the preparations in your hands. I will await your evening report tomorrow as usual."
"Thank you, Boss!" Koyo disappeared from the room, the doors closing noiselessly once more. His eyes narrowed and he frowned deeply, staring at the metallic desk before speaking in a low voice.
"You could never hope to understand what I want, Koyo. All of you simpletons are merely a means to an end. And once I have achieved that end, my legacy will be eternal. Where everyone failed, even my father, I shall succeed. I shall be the one to end the life of Son Goku."
12/16/2022
Post-Chapter Note: Thanks for checking out the new chapter! I hope you enjoyed it! A few naming choice explanations first:
Shihan = the literal Japanese word for "instructor" (shihan)
Koyo = a variation on the Japanese word for "hire" (koyou)
Nise = the first syllable of the Japanese word for "fake" (nisemono)
As a quick disclaimer (not that I think anyone will take it that seriously), Sharpner's comments about professional boxing were specifically about the world of Dragonball, not our real life. I don't know anything about boxing in real life so I wouldn't know if what he said is accurate or not, but I figured I'd cover my bases. In Dragonball World, if you don't make it big when you're young, that's the end of the line!
Now, on to the story itself! I wanted to acknowledge the last chapter quickly - I'm so glad people seem to have enjoyed the little bit of Bulma/Vegeta I included at the beginning of Chapter XIII! I've never written them like that before and honestly I don't know if I could go any further with that dynamic right now than I already have; I'm just less familiar with them as characters. But it was a fun little challenge that I enjoyed (hopefully) rising to! If I did more with them in the future, I'd definitely make sure to explore their dynamic in more depth before I tried my hand at it.
Now back to Chapter XIV - I have been stunned by how genuinely fun it is to write Majin Buu, especially within the context of this story. He's so...dumb and happy and I can just instantly turn any scene ridiculous by including him in it. I love the idea of him being equally as naïve and silly as he is thoughtful and kind. Also the mute button thing was just a little joke I stumbled into many chapters ago and I'm so glad I could bring it back now. I had way too much fun writing Videl obsessing over how he can work the remote like that!
I hope that last scene was compelling enough to keep everyone interested in the Black Gloves! I felt like the fight scene this time was perhaps a bit too one-sided compared to the others. Though, without the Ki Suppressor/Paralyzer, the Black Gloves really wouldn't be able to do anything against Videl and Gohan, especially now that Videl is so much stronger. But I was worried it might make them seem a bit toothless, so I hope the final scene remedied that somewhat. There are still some big plans involving them and I hope you'll all continue reading to the end to find out what happens!
Thank you all so much for your continued support and I can't wait to keep writing! I've said this story will likely be 22 chapters in the past, but now it's looking like it'll be 23. So still a good chunk of story to come! Anyway, thank you all for reading and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! See you next week!